Kate's Kitchen: quick and easy veg and chili soup

It’s been a pretty chilly March so far in the UK, so this month’s recipe is my go-to lunch – veggie soup. (It’s also very low in calories and salt, so you can be greedy with it and not feel guilty!) And it’s quick to make so it’s perfect for deadline days. (That's today, for me...)

Ingredients:

• 400g tin of tomatoes 
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 
• 1 large red onion, peeled and chopped 
• 1 large courgette (zucchini), topped and tailed and chopped 
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped 
• pinch of chili flakes (or a small red chili, deseeded and chopped - depends how spicy you like your soup!)

Method:

Put all ingredients into a large pan with enough water to cover (about 600ml). Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Whizz through a blender, season and serve.

Kate’s next release is in April – Behind the Film Star’s Smile. (This had the working title of ‘Me and You and a Dog Called Baloo’, but sadly the dog didn’t make the cover or the blurb!) You can find out more about these books, and Kate, on her website (http://www.katehardy.com/) and her blog (http://katehardy.blogspot.com/)